Maggie turned to tell Tim and Jodi, but then she froze. Corky was bouncing toward them. In a flash, Maggie remembered other mother cows charging after dogs. She and her cousins were in the way. They could get trampled.
"Get back!" she shouted.
Sure enough, as Corky got closer, he began to bark. Splash lurched to her feet, and swung her head from side to side searching for the danger.
"Run!" yelled Maggie, pushing her cousins back. "Run to the fence."
The three kids sprinted toward the fence as Corky barked with delight. He nipped at the cow's nose, and she charged at him.
"Yip!" Corky cried. He put his head between his legs, raced after the children, and passed them.
Splash crashed out of the brush toward the dog and the children. The fence wasn't far away. They just might make it.
But just then Maggie's bad ankle gave out and she fell. She knew she'd never get up in time. The cow was coming fast. Maggie shut her eyes and prepared to be attacked.